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February 23, 2004 Issue of PRWeek

Yahoo teams with EBA to enhance its Hong Kong image

HONG KONG: Euan Barty Associates (EBA) has signed a one-year contract with Yahoo to handle PR in Hong Kong after working with the internet portal ...

Text 100's second Chinese operation opens in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA: Text 100 has opened its second office in China, this time in Shanghai. The tech-focused agency opened its Beijing office about a year ...

Social workers group hires CMC to help change view of profession

WASHINGTON: The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has tapped Crosby Marketing Communications (CMC) to lead a national campaign that will attempt to change the ...

Circuit City narrows search for PR firm to four agencies

RICHMOND, VA: Consumer electronics retailer Circuit City has narrowed down its PR agency search to four agencies.

FDA issues RFQ for centennial campaign

WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration is about to celebrate a very big birthday, and the PR industry has been invited to throw the party. ...

Ford comms shift links North, South American staffers

DEARBORN, MI: Ford Motor has reorganized its communications operations, bringing North and South American public affairs staffers under one unit for the first time.

H&M, Jericho launch blitz for Chicago store opening

CHICAGO: Swedish retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has launched a Chicago PR blitz with its longtime agency Jericho Communications as the chain opens a new ...

PN accuses ex-employees of starting firm on PN time

TRAVIS COUNTY, TX: Porter Novelli (PN) has sued two former employees who left the agency to start their own firm, taking one of PN's clients ...

Siemens hires Dentsu to tout train tour

ATLANTA: Siemens Energy and Automation, an operating company of German firm Siemens, plans to take a 1,000-foot-long train on a 10-city tour starting this week ...

CRT to direct Nextel's NASCAR sponsorship

RESTON, VA: Nextel Communications has hired Carter Ryley Thomas (CRT) as the PR agency for the NASCAR Nextel Cup series of stock-car races.

MWW adds IXP, set to start Homeland Security Practice

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ: IXP Corp., which consults on and integrates emergency-response communications systems for clients that include New York City's police and fire departments, has retained ...

GCI taps Martin for newly created job as healthcare SVP

NEW YORK: GCI has expanded its healthcare practice with the creation of a new SVP post. The firm named Bill Martin, former head of corporate ...

New broadcast company targets Spanish TV, radio

NEW YORK: TeleNoticias, a broadcast production company dedicated to serving Spanish-language television, radio, and internet media outlets, launched last week.

Two groups begin effort to keep Nader out of election

WASHINGTON: Once the darling of liberal grassroots activists, Ralph Nader has recently become one of their favorite targets as movements have sprung up around the ...

Ketchum appoints director for its UK corporate practice

LONDON: The Conservative Party's former chief media strategist Paul Baverstock has landed a job heading the UK corporate practice at PR giant Ketchum.

Firms take sides in Comcast's Disney bid

PHILADELPHIA: Comcast's hostile bid for The Walt Disney Co. finds agencies with long histories of working on high-stakes corporate battles aligned on each side of ...

News Briefs

Wasserstein gets Sard's assistance on 'New York' buy

NEW YORK: Financial communications shop Citigate Sard Verbinnen has been helping Wall Street financier Bruce Wasserstein through his recent purchase of New York Magazine.

Barr to keep strategy for Plan B despite FDA delay

WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ: Barr Laboratories said the FDA's decision to delay granting over-the-counter (OTC) status to Plan B, an emergency contraceptive, would not significantly change ...

Omnicom reports PR revenue rise of 9.5% in Q4 of 2003

NEW YORK: Omnicom Group, the largest marketing holding company, said last week that it saw its PR revenue rise by 9.5% during the final quarter ...

Weddings in San Francisco give PR boost to gay unions

SAN FRANCISCO: Mayor Gavin Newsom's (D) decision to allow same-sex marriages has been hailed by many as courageous, while still derided by others as shocking. ...

Ex-global comms director for White House opens firm

WASHINGTON: Tucker Eskew, President Bush's former leading man on global communications, went into business for himself last week, opening the Eskew Strategy Group (ESG). Eskew ...

IL official denies reports on Edelman deal

CHICAGO: An Illinois official denied a published report that implied Edelman was awarded the state's tourism PR business because of money it gave to back ...

2004 Salary Survey

NEW YORK: During 2003, average PR salaries took their biggest year-over-year drop since PRWeek began tracking them in 2001, according to the 2004 PRWeek Salary ...

Novartis' research firm appoints FKH agency of record

CAMBRIDGE, MA: The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), the Swiss drug giant's global research organization, has named Feinstein Kean Healthcare (FKH) its first-ever agency ...

St. Louis Fed Reserve Bank hearing bids for direct deposit campaign

WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is now hearing pitches for a $50 million, three- to five-year integrated marketing campaign encouraging more Americans ...

Joele Frank, Brunswick aid wireless deal

ATLANTA: Two PR M&A shops were tapped to handle the communications in last week's wireless phone mega-merger.

Amex hires Yager for post as SVP of corporate comms

NEW YORK: The American Stock Exchange (Amex) has hired Fred Yager as its new head of communications. As SVP of corporate communications, Yager will report ...

EDITORIAL: Unless every staffer is on-board, claims of employee comms success simply won't fly

Oedipus had to solve the riddle of the Sphinx in order to avoid death. Similarly, the riddle of the unmotivated airline rep is a test ...

OP-ED: Measurement of outcomes is integral to the future of PR

Several respected senior PR counselors have been speaking out lately about the reasons PR can't be measured accurately. The problem is, they're looking at a ...

ANALYSIS: Comms execs must adjust to new tech IPO landscape

As many people herald the new field of tech IPOs as a sign of a revitalized market, Andrew Gordon finds that PR and IR must ...

PAUL HOLMES: Cintas lawsuit highlights the hopelessness of settling public-opinion disputes in court

That sound you hear is chickens coming home to roost.

CORPORATE CASE STUDY: Mighty Ducks score with community outreach efforts

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks hockey team's communications department helps the team appeal to fans by setting long-term goals and reacting quickly to ongoing community events.

THE AGENCY BUSINESS: Firms find acceptance of markup fees might be declining

As a cost-cutting wave sweeps corporate America, companies are seeing that more Clients are scrutinizing, and sometimes rejecting, fees charged for out-of-pocket expenses.

MEDIA ROUNDUP: More outlets are minding manners

Once limited to debutante balls and dining, etiquette has become a topic of interest to journalists who cover everything from travel to technology.

JOURNALIST Q&A: Bethany McLean

Fortune reporter Bethany McLean touched off coverage of Enron's demise with her March 2001 feature, "Is Enron Overpriced?" Now, after more than two years reporting ...

MEDIA WATCH: Bush baffles public on 'Meet The Press'

President Bush's February 8 Meet the Press interview prompted a slew of editorials and letters. Opinions were generally critical and often expressed bafflement at his ...

MEDIA BRANDS: Media succumbs to its own prejudice with endless bashing of both Stewart and Fuller

If any lessons can be taken from the ongoing public skewering of two of the media business' most iconic women, then any aspiring Martha Stewarts ...

PROFILE: Passion paves Molinari's path from politics to PR

From attaining a congressional seat to her current role as president of Ketchum Public Affairs, Susan Molinari has made a career of being involved in ...

MARKET FOCUS: Hearing the customer out

Communicating may be an integral part of PR, but so is listening.

Following the money without going broke

When you're on the hunt for new business, meticulously efficient allocation of time, money, and talent is essential. Anita Chabria learns how it's done.

CAMPAIGNS: Wag Ed education effort boosts AVI's credibility, stocks

PR team: AVI BioPharma (Portland, OR) and Waggener Edstrom Bioscience (Lake Oswego, OR) Campaign: "We saved Arisco the penguin" Time frame: August 2002 to September 2003 Budget: ...

CAMPAIGNS: Dialog's campaign shows consumers the benefits of soy

PR team: United Soybean Board (Chesterfield, MO) and Publicis Dialog (Seattle) Campaign: "Consumer awareness and promotion" Time frame: October 2003 to September 2004 Budget: $902,490

CAMPAIGNS: Chrysler teaches owners the perks of dealer service

PR Team: The Brownstein Group (Philadelphia), Fusion 5 (New York), and Chrysler, Jeep & Dodge Service Marketing (Auburn Hills, MI) Campaign: "Stick with the specialists" Time Frame: ...

THE PUBLICIST: NASCAR growth is fueled by a finely tuned comms machine

How loud is it? Imagine Ted Nugent in concert at a busy airstrip during a fire alarm. I'm in the pits at the Daytona 500, ...

PR PLAY OF THE WEEK: Mattel makes most of Barbie-Ken breakup

NEW YORK: First there was Ben and Jen parting ways. Now, there is Barbie and Ken.

TOY BOX: M32 will work out nicely for exercisers

Polar's m32 heart rate monitor (HRM) is ideal for exercisers with specific goals in mind. Besides monitoring beats per minute, the m32's OwnCal and OwnZone ...

BOOK REVIEW: 'Compassionate' gives readers a lot

A breath of fresh air amongst the many business books out there, Compassionate Capitalism is full of insight and trade secrets simply about building the ...